Editorial One
Issue 416, May 15, 2019
The people of India have handed their decision in no uncertain terms- the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its Leader Narendra Modi has created political history by trouncing the Indian National Congress, which was humiliated for the first time in its 134-year history, throwing it into oblivion.
In more ways than one, the results of the General Elections in India have been a watershed in the political history of the world’s largest democracy.
Celebrations all round
Investors cheered the result, sending the main share index to a record high.
BJP’s victory holds out the prospect not just of stability, but also of development and reform. Its manifesto pledged lavish investment in infrastructure, including 100 new airports and 50 metro systems. By 2030, according to the Party, India will be the world’s third-biggest economy (it now ranks sixth).
It was essentially a victory for Mr Modi, who campaigned at a such a personal phase that it appeared like a Presidential Election. With more than 300 seats under his control, he can be assured of unopposed governance over the next five years.
Whether it is good for democracy is hardly a matter for debate, for, the public mood in India today is one of the high expectations- that Mr Modi will deliver India into another galaxy of power, progress and prosperity, so much that the Diaspora elsewhere may want to return.
Formidable Challenges
That could be a far-fetched thought. While Mr Modi would now be busy putting together a Cabinet and perhaps picking a new battalion of officials for his second term in office, he would doubtless be aware that winning an election is just the beginning.
He is indubitably aware that a massive mandate comes with a heavy responsibility.
In the Indian context, that responsibility would be countered by serious challenges, some of them posing as imponderables.
Security would be the first major concern, with external forces and terrorists posing a threat to the safety of more than 1, 3 billion people. Mr Modi knows well that India’s geography opens itself to infiltration from much of its Northern borders. Strengthening defence capability would be his top priority.
Unemployment, managing a young population and sustaining economic growth would be other major challenges, each of which will require planning and resources.
Mr Modi’s second term gives him another chance to hasten development and turn India into a genuine global power—goals that appeal to both his enterprising supporters and his religious ones.
